Judge will sentence Roger Stone on Thursday, but could postpone punishment pending bid for new trial

[Mrs. Overall]

Source: CNBC

The federal judge in Roger Stone case said Tuesday that she will still sentence the Republican operative for multiple crimes on Thursday — but may postpone imposing the terms of that punishment on the longtime friend of President Donald Trump pending resolution of his request for a new trial.

Judge Amy Berman Jackson said during a conference call with Stone’s lawyers and prosecutors that she thought “delaying the sentence would not be a prudent thing.”

Stone’s lawyers last week filed a motion seeking a new trial on the heels of disclosures that the jury forewoman in Stone’s trial had a history of anti-Trump social media posts. Trump earlier Tuesday retweeted comments by a Fox News legal commentator who said Stone should get a new trial in light of the forewoman’s posts.

Stone was convicted at trial last fall of lying to Congress about his contacts during the 2016 presidential election with the document disclosure group WikiLeaks.

Read more: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/02/18/judge-will-still-sentence-roger-stone-on-thursday.html?__source=iosappshare%7Ccom.apple.UIKit.activity.PostToTwitter

[apcalc]

1. MAY postpone imposing the terms???? Lock him up!

[safeinOhio]

2. Would new trial include

all of the original charges dropped in negotiation? Hmmm.

[Fullduplexxx]

3. Iirc there were 2 trumptards on Manafort's jury

[greenjar_01]

4. They never see the inside of a jail these fucking criminals

It's infuriating.

[iluvtennis]

5. Like that sentencing will occur on Thursday. It's ridiculous that punishment may be postponed

Stone was found guilty in November. He's been free since then. What now, another 6-12 months of freedom oending the new trial bid.

I thought that ppl found guilty do their appeals while locked up. This isn't fair.

[IthinkThereforeIAM]

8. Yep, and free to continuing to ratphuck the election process...

... eom.

[onenote]

13. Judges have discretion to grant bail pending appeal

18 USC 3141(b)

Also, if a mistrial is declared and a new trial ordered, the conviction is vacated. A new trial isn't an appeal. Bail is all but automatic in such cases.

[iluvtennis]

17. Good info - thanks for the clarification on new trial vs appeal. nt

[wishstar]

6. Stone's defense team knew the juror was an anti-Trump Democrat and never objected before now

The juror's political leanings only became an issue when Trump got involved in the case recently. During jury selection process, this juror was clearly known to be anti-Trump due to her concerns about racism but had never made any comments critical of Roger Stone. Stone's team and the Judge would have eliminated her if she had clear anti-Stone bias, but her bias was anti-Trump.

[bluestarone]

9. I'm sure they did! BUT THEY also figured they could use THIS to APPEAL!!

They knew what they were doing!

[onenote]

14. We don't know whether the defense challenged her

We know that the defense gave the judge a list of around 50 prospective jurors they wanted struck and that the judge agreed with respect to around 40 of them.

And while we know that the defense (and the judge) knew of the juror's political affiliation and activism, we don't know whether she gave materially incomplete or misleading answers to questions posed during void dire.

The judge issued a carefully written and thorough 15 page opinion addressing the defense's post trial motion regarding a different juror. I expect her to do the same with respect to this juror.

[BlueIdaho]

7. Stone plead guilty...

The make-up of the jury doesn’t really make a big difference. If he were to somehow convince someone (Barr) he needs a new trial - his signed guilty plea statement would loom large in a further proceeding.

[wishstar]

10. Mike Flynn's the one who tried to withdraw his guilty plea while Stone was convicted by jury

So juror bias or misconduct will have to be ruled out by the judge in denying a new trial for Stone. There is no case for Stone to get a new trial if nothing additional has been uncovered revealing anti-Stone bias or misconduct by the juror who had admitted being a strongly anti-Trump Democrat during jury selection but never criticized Stone on her social media.

[BlueIdaho]

11. Whoops!

Got my Trump criminals confused... thanks for straightening me out.

[wishstar]

12. Good news that DOJ opposes new trial and supported sentencing for Thursday

Now that DOJ weighed in against new trial for Stone and for her to go ahead and sentence, she should be able to rule fairly soon to deny the motion for new trial and send him off to prison quickly although probably not this week.

[RealityChik]

15. Well then, can't wait until it's Thursday

Just makes life worth living this week to be able to look forward to Roger-Stone-Sentencing-Day. Altho with Barr as an unpredictable variable, I could be setting myself up for major disappointment (again!).

[LudwigPastorius]

16. I'd just like to say that...

I hope Judge Berman Jackson weighs the request from the DOJ, takes into account Stone's lack of prior record, consults sentencing guidelines carefully then...



buries that fucker UNDER the jail for the rest of his filthy life.